Food Refusal. Need Advice

[dogplanes]

My leopard gecko, Archie (male), is about a year old (14 months, I think). I got him last september from a good breeder. He has always eaten mealworms. Now, I know leos can be notoriously picky, but I still worry, because he has gone mostly off feed for about 2 weeks now, out of the blue. At one point, about a week ago, I tried crickets, and he ate a bunch. (He had a normal poop after that; hasn’t gone since.) But now he acts scared of crickets, and won’t go near them, even when I pull off their antennae, which he hates. He ate a single mealworm two days ago, unenthusiastically. He won’t touch dubia roaches. The only food he’ll always eat eagerly is waxworms (obviously), but of course I’m not going to feed him those. Aside from not eating, he still acts totally normal. He has energy. But he has lost a tad of weight (not a dangerous amount... yet). I’ll include a picture of him from today so you can see.
Now, what I’m wondering is: What is causing this? How can I get him to eat? And, if he gets hungry enough, will he eventually eat, regardess?

Here he is as of this post:

Husbandry details:
-40 gal tank (front-opening glass doors, screen top), 1 gecko
-room temp (~73 degrees F) on cool side, warm side stays between 90-92, w/heat mat and CHE (no light bulb just heat)
-room has windows, so he gets natural day/night cycle
-paper towel substrate
-4 hides (one is humid and centered in tank), and a log and hammock
-handling only when he begs for it (if not I leave alone)
-small water dish (tap water treated with reptisafe) and dish of calcium without D3
-room where he stays is pretty peaceful and quiet

Final note: he will NOT eat out of a bowl. I can’t leave bugs in his tank bc they just hide and he won’t get them. He can only be tong fed, or I will drop the bug in, in front of him, one-at-a-time. Now he just ignores the food (or tries to climb my hand) when I feed him.

 

[acpart]

Sometimes geckos just don't eat for awhile. Sometimes there's a reason (breeding season, ovulating females, parasites) and sometimes there's just no reason. All I can suggest is to keep offering and try not to worry. My gecko record for not eating was my super snow male who once went 6 months (yes, he did lose about 20 grams and I kept trying to feed him but he just wouldn't eat during the winter for a number of years). If you feel he's acting lethargic or losing a lot of weight, you'll have to take him to a reptile vet.

Aliza

 

[dogplanes]

Sometimes geckos just don't eat for awhile. Sometimes there's a reason (breeding season, ovulating females, parasites) and sometimes there's just no reason. All I can suggest is to keep offering and try not to worry. My gecko record for not eating was my super snow male who once went 6 months (yes, he did lose about 20 grams and I kept trying to feed him but he just wouldn't eat during the winter for a number of years). If you feel he's acting lethargic or losing a lot of weight, you'll have to take him to a reptile vet.

Aliza

Thanks so much for the response! That is definitely reassuring to hear. (If I start to think he is in real danger I will take him to the vet.) This is my first gecko so I worry about everything, haha. Maybe it has something to do with the summer heat? Even tho his temps are regulated. Or maybe it’s something to do with him reaching adulthood.